Logo switch hitting

Viacom’s cable network, Logo, is going from gay to “gay-ish.”

Launched in the summer of 2005 and aimed at the LGBT community — with shows like “Drag U” and “1 girl 5 gays” — Logo is switching focus and adding programs geared for straight women, The Post has learned.

The switch was first evident this past April when Logo debuted a show about kids’ beauty pageants, “Eden’s Wood,” featuring the child star of TLC’s “Toddlers and Tiaras.”

Other new shows are about gay and married couples adopting kids in “BabyWait,” and gay and straight couples in therapy in “Love Lockdown.”

The change is upsetting some gay TV executives who feel the programming changes have gone too far.

“Maybe as the core focus they are abandoning gay and moving towards what seems to be the primary target: straight women,” one source close to the channel told The Post.

“The word gay is getting left behind a bit,” the source noted.

Logo is using NBCUniversal’s Bravo and Discovery’s TLC as a template of sorts, sources said.

Both channels have shows with high concentrations of gay viewers, according to cable experts.

Logo currently commands six cents per subscriber per month, and is carried in 53.4 million households, according to SNL Kagan estimates.

Affiliate revenue is expected to grow about 18 percent to $35.5 million this year from $30 million in 2011.

Advertising revenue at Logo has been flat at around $18 million between 2009 and 2011 — forecasts have it reaching $21 million in 2012.

The switch away from almost exclusive LGBT programming is no doubt aimed at boosting ad rates and broadening the focus of the niche channel, a move being made by many cable channels.

Other cable networks broadening their focus include A&E TV Networks’ History, which dumped the black-and-white World War II documentaries in favor of hit period dramas such as “Hatfields and McCoys,” while NBCUniversal’s SyFy Channel took the unusual tack of airing a food show last year, “Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen.”

“Shows like ‘Project Runway’ and ‘Real Housewives’ are strong with a gay audience, but not exclusively so,” said Gary Lico, founder and CEO, of CableU, a online analytics company that tracks changes in cable programming.

“If I’m Logo, can I be a bit like [Bravo and TLC] and drop the gay tag and be a bit more androgynous?” he asked.

The network, launched by cable veteran Matt Farber, was always programmed to be inclusive of non-gay themes, but now the network’s top executive says that gay themes permeate the culture so much that the network needs to evolve.

Logo Executive Vice President Lisa Sherman told Multichannel News recently that only 30 percent of the gay audience wanted to live, work and socialize exclusively with other gays, hence the changes.

“About 24 percent of primetime shows on broadcast and cable have a gay story line or gay character because that’s reality and life,” she said.

A spokesman for the channel said: “Gay remains in the DNA.” The network’s tag line is Logo: Beyond Labels.

catkinson@nypost.com

cable network, cable networks, gay audience, Executive Vice President Lisa Sherman, straight women, LGBT community

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Moscow Lifts Pressure on Opposition

MOSCOW—Russian police searched the homes of several prominent opposition leaders Monday, raising the pressure on critics just a day before a major antigovernment rally in Moscow.

The searches, which lasted more than 10 hours and ended with the confiscation of computers, documents and large sums of cash, marked a new escalation in the Kremlin's crackdown on opponents. They came after President Vladimir Putin signed into law a controversial bill on Friday that sharply increases fines for violations at protests.

Investigators also summoned protest leaders for questioning Tuesday in what activists said seemed to be an attempt to prevent them from attending the demonstration.

Authorities said their actions were entirely in line with procedure and part of a probe into violence that broke out between police and demonstrators at the last protest, on May 6. No opposition leaders have yet been charged in that case. But due to the charges' severity, anyone charged in that case could see substantially longer jail terms than the 15 days protesters often get for minor violations.

A spokesman for the Investigative Committee, which handled the actions Monday, said in a statement that investigators confiscated "large amounts of agitation materials and literature with antistate slogans," as well as computers and other materials.

Monday's searches elicited angry responses even from figures relatively loyal to the Kremlin. Mikhail Fedotov, chairman of the presidential human-rights commission, told the Interfax news agency he was "shocked" and said he canceled a trip to be able to attend Tuesday's demonstration as an observer.

Alexei Kudrin, a longtime Putin ally and former finance minister, said on Twitter, "The searches of the opposition leaders on the eve of June 12, alongside the new law, will radicalize the protest and demonstrate the strengthening of the influence of radicals in the regime."

Opposition leaders said they thought the actions would only add to turnout at Tuesday's demonstration, which is shaping up to be a test of strength for Kremlin critics and of the authorities' tolerance for protests. The protesters are calling for an end to Mr. Putin's domination of the political system, new parliamentary elections after allegations of widespread fraud in the December vote, and an end to Kremlin media control.

A prominent Internet TV station said local residents who had agreed to allow cameras into their apartments to film the march changed their minds or stopped answering phones Monday.

Investigators' actions Monday were covered virtually live in Twitter, at least until police confiscated activists' computers, iPads and cellphones.Anticorruption blogger Alexei Navalnyi kept up a steady stream of reports during the more than 10 hours police spent at his apartment. Policemen with submachine guns stood guard at the door.

A smiling Mr. Navalnyi followed masked investigators carrying boxes of confiscated materials from his apartment and denounced the probe as an effort at "intimidation" aimed at sabotaging the protest and collecting information on opponents. "All this will lead to greater turnout," he said.

Leftist leader Sergei Udaltsov said police "turned his apartment upside-down" and summoned him for questioning Tuesday. "They clearly want to prevent me from coming to the demonstration," he wrote in Twitter. "In any case, I appeal to all to come out tomorrow to the protest. We shouldn't have fear." Investigators said they confiscated lists of members of his movement from his apartment.

Kseniya Sobchak, the glamorous TV host who has become one of the stars of the protest movement since it picked up pace in December, also was targeted Monday. Her lawyer said police had qualified her as a witness in the case against Ilya Yashin, a young opposition leader to whom she has been linked romantically.

Ms. Sobchak complained in Twitter that she was "half-dressed" during the search and wasn't allowed to change her clothes. She said police had read her correspondence with "her beloved person," though she didn't mention Mr. Yashin by name.

She also said police confiscated €1.5 million ($1.9 million) in cash from her apartment. She didn't explain why she had such a large sum of money at home. Many major transactions in Russia, such as real estate, are conducted in cash.

The Investigative Committee said it found over €1 million in both euros and dollars, "packed in more than 100 envelopes," and was trying to ascertain its source and purpose.

Write to Alexander Kolyandr at Alexander.Kolyandr@dowjones.com and Gregory L. White at greg.white@wsj.com

Vladimir Putin, opposition leaders, Kremlin, Russian police, demonstration, Investigators, Investigative Committee, opposition leader

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Pacquiao promoter rips decision for Bradley

LAS VEGAS -- Moments after Tim Bradley was awarded a controversial split decision over Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night at the MGM Grand, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum went into a tirade, ripping the two judges who scored the fight for Bradley and threatening to keep the rematch out of Nevada.

“What we saw tonight was ridiculous. That’s the only word to describe it: ridiculous,” Arum said. “We’re not morons, all of us. The outcry world wide about this decision will not be good for boxing.”

Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) handed Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) his first loss in seven years and claimed the WBO welterweight championship when he was awarded a split decision that stunned a packed crowd. All three judges scored the bout 115-113. Jerry Roth had it for Pacquiao, while Cynthia J. Ross and Duane Ford gave Bradley the nod. All are veteran judges from Nevada with multiple championship fights to their credit.

Boos filled the arena when the decision was announced and Arum didn’t hold back his displeasure even though he promotes both fighters.

“I think it’s incomprehensible,” Arum said, adding he would offer to take the judges to see his eye specialist. “I have the best eye doctor in the world and if they would get on a plane and go to Los Angeles, I would pay for them to have a visit.”

The Post scored the fight 116-112 for Pacquiao, who according to CompuBox landed 253 punches to 159 for Bradley, including 190 power punches to 108 for Bradley.

“I thought we won the fight,” said Pacquiao’s Hall of Fame trainer, Freddie Roach. “I thought he fought a very good fight. I thought it was one of his best fights since the [Miguel] Cotto fight. Bradley was very tough and very durable, but I thought we clearly won the fight.”

Pacquiao said he respected the decision, “but 100 percent I believe I won the fight.”

A replay of the bout will be shown on HBO on Saturday at 10 p.m. EDT before the live telecast of the middleweight championship between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andy Lee from El Paso, Texas.

A rematch had been negotiated as part of their original deal, with the date set for Nov. 10. Bradley went so far as to display an oversized ticket made up for the rematch, during the press conference on Wednesday. The outcome has left some wondering whether everything was on the up-and-up.

“Something wasn’t right,” Roach said, “because what everyone else saw and what [the judges] saw were two different things.”

What shouldn’t be lost is a gutsy performance by Bradley. He fractured the top of his left foot in the second round, also sprained his right ankle, and needed a wheelchair to attend his post-fight press conference. Despite the pain, he was able to withstand the hard flurries of Pacquiao and steal the fight because the two judges that favored him scored the last three rounds for Bradley.

“He hit me with some big shots early on,” Bradley said, “but I persevered and went through the pain and used my boxing ability towards the end to clear some rounds, maybe the last five rounds, to get the victory.”

Bradley didn’t apologize for winning the split decision.

“There were three judges out there and two felt I won that fight,” Bradley said. “What do you want me to do? That’s all I can say on that. But we definitely have to do it again.”

Boxing has had its share of controversial decisions in recent months. Three judges were suspended in New Jersey after Paul Williams was given a majority decision over Erislandy Lara last July. There were plenty of people who thought Pacquiao didn’t deserve the majority decision he earned over Juan Manuel Marquez last November.

Pacquiao is already looking forward to the rematch, saying he’ll become “a warrior” in his training.

“I don’t want the rematch to last all 12 rounds,” he said.

george.willis@nypost.com

Manny Pacquiao, Pacquiao, Pacquiao, Tim Bradley, Bradley, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, split decision, Cynthia J. Ross, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

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Grand ‘D’ is dandy in clutch

The Yankees have had to rely on Curtis Granderson’s bat more than a few times this season, but last night, they needed his glove.

Granderson, playing in his customary shallow spot in center, had to race deep into left-center to catch up to Omar Quintanilla’s drive in the seventh inning that almost certainly would have scored Josh Thole from first to tie a game the Yankees ended up winning, 4-2.

“Whenever you can keep runs from scoring, it’s always big,” Granderson said.

Especially when you’re going through an 0-for-18 slump.

Granderson snapped that in the bottom of the eighth when he hit his 18th homer of the season, a shot to right off Bobby Parnell to give the Yankees an insurance run.

Despite the hitless streak, Granderson never thought he lost his swing.

“I felt like I had decent at-bats,” Granderson said. “I just haven’t been able to do much with them. It’s not mechanical.”

BOX SCORE

SUBWAY SERIES MOMENTS

But he hasn’t been bothered in the field. After Thole’s one-out single in the seventh knocked Phil Hughes out of the game, southpaw Boone Logan was brought in to face the lefty-hitting Quintanilla.

Though the Mets’ newest shortstop isn’t about to make anyone forget Ruben Tejada, let alone Jose Reyes, he has had a strong Subway Series so far.

After coming up with the Mets’ only hit off Hiroki Kuroda on Friday night — a double up the gap in left-center — Quintanilla added a homer to right in the second inning last night. Then he came up with what looked like another extra-base hit in the seventh.

“It was just a matter of trying to get there,” Granderson said. “The ball hung up a little bit, and I was able to get there and catch it. A play like that can change a ballgame.”

It did. Thole never scored and the Mets failed to knot the game.

And it made Granderson even more confident about leaving plenty of room between him and the fence.

“It can go both ways,” Granderson said. “You don’t want a double [over your head], but I feel more comfortable going back. I feel better that way, and I get a better jump going back since that’s my first instinct.”

One that served the Yankees well last night.

dan.martin@nypost.com

Curtis Granderson, Granderson, Omar Quintanilla, Josh Thole, the Yankees, Yankees, Hiroki Kuroda, Bobby Parnell

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Cardinal Hayes' Jenkins ends the suspense, picks George Mason

Jalen Jenkins, the supremely versatile and talented forward out of Cardinal Hayes, has toyed with the idea of going straight to college or taking a postgraduate year for a while now.

The recent high school graduate has gone back and forth between the two like a pendulum swinging from side to side. In that time, colleges have come and gone, some turned off by the possibility he may reclassify into the Class of 2013 and others hoping he would do so.

George Mason never stopped recruiting the Yonkers native. The CAA school wanted him either way – this coming season or the one after. Jenkins returned the Patriots’ loyalty this week, verbally committing to George Mason and head coach Paul Hewitt. He has yet to decide if he will be at the Fairfax, Va., school in the fall or do a prep year – at 17 years old, he is a young senior, after all.

Denis Gostev

Cardinal Hayes' Jalen Jenkins has verbally committed to George Mason.

“They’re with me whatever I want to do,” he said while playing with New Heights at Rumble in the Bronx at John Jay College in Manhattan.

Jenkins, an All-City second team selection by The Post, chose George Mason over Rhode Island, Fordham, Manhattan, Quinnipiac, Iona and others, but he said it was really George Mason all the way. He fell in love with the campus and was comfortable with the coaching staff, notably Hewitt who was his lead recruiter.

“It’s always good when the head coach calls you – that’s who calls the shots,” Jenkins said. “It was a big sign, a sign they wanted me and saw potential in me.”

There were high major schools to enquire and show interest in Jenkins, he said, like Providence and Marquette, but he felt George Mason fit him like a glove.

“They make the [NCAA] Tournament every year, they compete every year,” he said. “I know if I work hard and do what I need to do, they’re going to give me a chance.”

Jenkins was particularly impressed with the sprawling campus, which he said reminded him of the North Carolinas and Dukes of the ACC. He wanted to get out of New York City, but not go too far, and George Mason offered that.

“I wanted to get out, experience something new,” he said. “When you’re a kid playing basketball in New York City, you’ve seen all of the tri-state and everything it has to offer.”

His transition will be eased by the presence of point guard Corey Edwards, a good friend of his who he stayed with on his visit. The two talked a lot about the school in recent weeks and Jenkins liked everything Edwards had to say, from the coaching staff to the school’s social life to its academic programs.

“It’s a great marriage,” New Heights coach Kimani Young said. “It’s a great level for him, whether he gets there this year or next year. Paul Hewitt will be a great mentor for him.”

George Mason is getting a multidimensional player in Jenkins. A combo forward who can step out behind the 3-point line, score inside and distribute and lead a fastbreak, one Division I coach familiar with Jenkins said he has the “potential” to be an all-conference performer in the CAA.

“Jalen is a very cerebral player who can really pass and handle the ball for a forward,” the coach said. “He’s a great kid that will have a lot of success in the MAAC.”

Jenkins is happy to have the long-and-winding process over with. While there is the possibility he could attend prep school in the fall – he will likely decide after the AAU season ends in July, his most important decision – where he will attend college – is over with.

“[George Mason] has everything I wanted,” he said.

zbraziller@nypost.com

George Mason, Jalen Jenkins, Paul Hewitt, Paul Hewitt, Jenkins, Cardinal Hayes

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Trojans lament poor at bats, Sanchez's absence in loss to Grand Street

George Washington believed its title got away in the early innings.

“We didn’t let the pitcher work,” Trojans star Nelson Rodriguez said. “We didn’t take good at bats.”

The catcher felt he and his teammates were too anxious at the plate against Grand Street ace Gerry Gonzalez. They swung at too many first pitches and didn't look to work enough walks. The crafty left didn't give up a hit through the first four innings to the mighty GW lineup. By the time they adjusted, Gonzalez had his confidence and a two-run lead.

“I think we let him get into a rhythm and didn’t break up his rhythm at all,” George Washington coach Steve Mandl said.

Christina Santucci

George Washington's Steven Segarra reacts to the loss.

Photos: Grand Street Campus-George Washington

His team got just a fifth-inning run and left the bases loaded with one out for the defending champions. With two on in the seventh, Randy Rodriguez hit a comebacker to Gonzalez that ended the fourth-seeded Trojans' 2-1 loss to No. 2 Grand Street Campus in the PSAL Class A baseball final Friday night at MCU Park in Brooklyn.

“We outhit them and even five hits are a shock to us,” said Mandl, who didn’t coach last year because of a suspension for recruiting violations.

The Trojans played without one of their best players in center fielder Fernelys Sanchez, who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 16th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft earlier this week. Mandl said he found out Thursday that the organization didn’t want him to play and his advisor agreed out of fear of him getting hurt. Sanchez missed almost the whole season with a broken fibula. The longtime coach wasn’t happy, but didn’t use it as an excuse.

“It made no sense whatsoever,” Mandl said. “All these kids play in the College World Series. Their first two picks are a catcher and a pitcher in the College World Series.”

GW starter Edwin Corniel gave his team a chance to rally giving up just four hits over five innings while walking three and striking out four. The senior allowed an RBI triple to Kevin Martir in the first inning and a solo blast to left by Ernesto Lopez in the fourth to make it 2-0 Grand Street (21-1).

The Trojans (19-3) showed life in the top of the seventh. Bryan Mejia reached on an error and with one out Yasmany Gomez was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Henry Rodriguez flied out Randy Rodriguez repeatedly fouled off Gonzalez pitches and was almost safe on a high throw.

“He is one of the people you want up in that situation,” Mandl said.

While that at bat didn’t go its way, George Washington still lamented its approach at the plate in the early frames.

“When we had bases loaded that’s when we started taking pitches,” Nelson Rodriguez said. “He started walking people and then we started swinging at first pitches. We weren’t patient.”

jstaszewski@nypost.com

George Washington, George Washington, Nelson Rodriguez, Nelson Rodriguez, Grand Street ace Gerry Gonzalez, Trojans, Randy Rodriguez, SantucciGeorge Washington, Grand Street, Grand Street, Gonzalez, Grand Street Campus, Steven Segarra, Atlanta Braves, Mandl

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Time Warner mulling leadership change at CNN

Time Warner brass is succession planning at CNN, but no one’s walking the plank just yet.

Senior management is putting together a short list of potential candidates to run CNN Worldwide to end the ratings death spiral at the flagship news channel, several sources confirm.

The once-mighty neTWork, created in 1980 by Ted Turner, has been recording some of its lowest ratings in 20 years. Last month, CNN ranked 44th in prime time in the advertiser-coveted, 25-to-54-year-old demographic.

That lowly rank places CNN below even Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network and the Bio Channel — attracting just 114,000 viewers in the demographic. A lackluster primary season hasn’t helped the network rustle up its usual presidential election spike.

Dimitrios Kambouris

Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes (above) and Andersen Cooper can’t help fractured ratings.

CNN has pulled in an average of just 633,000 primetime viewers in the year ending June 30 — about 20 percent fewer eyeballs than two presidential election cycles ago.

Such a rating meltdown demands action and TW higher- ups are brainstorming for ideas for new management candidates with an eye on potentially replacing Jim Walton, who runs CNN Worldwide, several sources said.

The 53-year old executive’s contract is said to end on Dec. 31. Nothing will happen before the Nov. 6 elections The Post has learned.

When asked if there’s a search on, one TW insider told The Post, “We’re always thinking about succession. Are there any changes right now? No.”

Officials declined comment.

The poor ratings come as Madison Avenue allocates its annual ad dollars.

CNN’s ad revenue growth over the last two years is roughly 12 percent — the smallest increase of any of its rivals, including younger sibling Headline News, which saw ad revenue grow 20 percent in the period.

“Its being looked at very hard by [Time Warner CEO] Jeff Bewkes,” said one source who is familiar with TW’s thinking, adding, [Turner’s] “Phil [Kent] has stuck by Walton through thick and thin. Until recently they had a good business story going for them, but they’re having to do a lot of make-goods.”

Other cable news outlets are doing make-goods, too.

At a recent media conference, Walton’s direct boss, Kent, chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting, said he was “very unhappy,” with the situation.

Kent backed the current primetime lineup, which only includes shows hosted by Anderson Cooper at 8 p.m. and Piers Morgan at 9 p.m. A Cooper re-run airs at 10 p.m.

“We haven’t put the best shows on the air,” said Kent, speaking of the line-up outside of prime time.

Several news business high-ups say one name being floated internally to come in and revive CNN ratings is Jeff Zucker, the former NBCUniversal boss. Zucker is friendly with both Bewkes and corporate adviser, Gary Ginsberg. The Zucker prospect has rattled some in the executive ranks. No outreach has occurred around that idea.

In any case, Zucker is tied to Walt Disney Co. until at least early next year, as exec producer of “Katie.” Zucker did not return a call for comment.

Meanwhile, CNN insiders are also carping about the hiring of chef Anthony Bourdain to record a weekend show as editorial staff are being downsized. “People were like, ‘whaaaat?’ They’re eliminating reporters and replacing them with a food guy?”

catkinson@nypost.com

Jeff Zucker, Time Warner, CNN Worldwide, Jim Walton, TW, Ted Turner, succession planning, Jeff Bewkes, Andersen Cooper, Anderson Cooper, ratings, presidential election

Nypost.com